Sidney Beeman '19

FSU grad and filmmaker Sidney Beeman ’19 took home the Audience Award for Animation at the 2024 Indigo Moon Film Festival in Fayettesville, N.C. Her winning film, “Afungus Amongus!,” tells the tale of a tiny mushroom in Appalachia working to save his home from the pollution caused by the big city. Beeman produced the short along with Brandon Gaesser and Bridget Fitzgerald as part of coursework at the Documentary Film Program at Wake Forest University. “As someone deeply rooted in Appalachian storytelling, it was important to me to weave elements of Appalachia throughout the film -- from the types of mushrooms featured to subtle nods within the music,” said Beeman, who also directed the documentary “Finding Home” about a Burmese family building a new life in rural West Virginia. “As a filmmaker, my goal has always been to create work that I’m passionate about while connecting audiences to stories that entertain and inspire reflection.”

“Afungus Amongus!” can be viewed here.

Watch Afungus Amongus!